Gale's chance
by Honey2012
Summary: What if Gale got what Peeta got out of Katniss but all from the first Hunger Games Katniss attended?
1. The fall

I hide my face from everyone around me. Nothing could have prepared me more for the turn of events that just happened. The words still ring in my head. "It looks like we have yet another tribute!" Effie's words rang. Tears slid down my face. A knock on my door sounded.

"Katniss...can I come in?" Gale said. I curled in a ball on the floor.

"Go away..." I say, trying to hide the fact that I was crying. The door then cracked open before Gale walked in. He sat down next to me.

"Why Gale why? You're going to die in the arena with me!" I burst out crying.

"Because I would rather die beside you than watch you die alone." He says, beginning to playing with my hair.

"Oh Gale...what will we do?" I ask, relaxing slightly.

"We fight the hardest we can and win the damn thing, that's what we do." He answers.

"But we might die in there!" I protest, thinking about prim. "I promised Prim I would win for her and we might die in there!"

"But what if we don't die Katniss? If we don't die, then Prim gets you back and we go back to our normal lives. We go back to hunting in the forest together and doing what we normally do." He replies calmly.

"Oh Gale..." I trail off, touching his face with my hand. There is just something about him that I can't quite put my finger on. He smiles, resting his hand on my shoulder. I smile back. The room then starts to feel warm. Before I even know it, we're very close to each other. Our foreheads are resting on one another and our hands are locked together. The moment feels right and peaceful.

"Katniss Everdeen!" A voice bellows from the other side of my room door. I sigh, getting up and opening the door. I look at people with a bunch of styling things and all of that neat stuff. "We're your prep team!" They all chant at once before whisking me away in a chair. They escort Gale out of my room before closing the doors and preparing me. If only I had gotten more time with Gale...


	2. Light always shines

My feet stand on a platform. The cornucopia is in the center of all of the tributes. I look around me to see faces from every district including my own district. Gale looks more worried about me than himself. A loud speaker then comes on. _Welcome to the 74th Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor! _I feel my heart beating like crazy to get the games over with. As soon as the countdown begins, my heart beats even faster. I panic as I try to remember what Haymitch, our drunk mentor, has taught us. The countdown then stops and the blood bath begins. Gale runs to the forest immediately as I run to grab a backpack. I manage to grab the backpack before a girl tribute tries to throw a knife at me. She only manages to hit my backpack, giving me a free knife. I then run into the forest as fast as my feet can carry me. By the time I stop running, I'm gasping for air. A call then fills the air, one that sounds familiar. I recognize it within seconds as Gale checking to see if I am okay. I send the call back to him and try to give a general idea as to where I am located. Minutes pass by Gale sends the call back to me. I hear a sweet melody in his call. _Maybe he's trying to say that he is coming my way _I think. I send another call back before taking the free knife I received and cutting stripes of bark from a tree nearby me. I manage to have carved 5 pieces before Gale arrives. I couldn't have been more happy in my life to have seen him. I drop everything I was holding and run into his arms. He collapses on the ground.  
"Hey Catnip.." He whispers, trying to catch his breath. I smile, re-leaved that he's fine.

"Hey.." I whisper back. I then get off of him and curl around his side.

"Looks like someone missed me." He joked, trying to pry me off of his side. I laugh, falling to the ground and getting leaves in my braid. He then helps me up on my feet.

"Did you manage to grab anything?" He asked.

"A backpack and a free knife from a knife thrower." I answer, showing off my collected items. He smiles.

"I knew you were always too fast for the others." He said warmly. I blushed, taken back by memories of us hunting side by side in the forest. "You were always the smartest." I whisper back as the area around us starts to feel warm. He blushed back at me. The strange feeling I felt before when we were in my room then starts to stir up again. I then realize what I am feeling. Love. Am I really in love with my best friend? I think about it, but the warm feeling pushes it away almost outright. Our foreheads are locked together again, Gale's face very close to mine. The moment is right. Should I tell him how I feel? I prepare myself to express my feelings. A loud scream then booms above us. We both grabbed our stuff and ran together through the forest as fast as we could. Minutes passed by as we ran and ran. We then came to a stop, almost pleading for air. I sit down, gasping heavily for air. Gale looks to be more out of breath then I am. I turn to meet his gaze. Am I really in love with him? The question hangs over my head like a cloud of fog. I think it over, recounting the times I felt the area around us go warm. I then decide to search his gaze for answers. As I look, I find what I felt. Warmth. I then exactly knew what he was going to say when we were in my room. If my prep team didn't come in, he would have said it. I lay down next to him.

"Looks like we made it out just in time, Catnip."


	3. The rain hides all

I pressed my hand to the floor of the cave. Something was wrong. I could just feel it. Something was off or just not right. I looked around the cave to see Gale was no where as the rain pounded down outside.

"Gale?" I ask, trying to not sound desperate already. No one replies. My question turns into panic.

"Gale?!" I panic, desperately searching the cave to hopefully find my best friend, or should I say my crush. But I can't find him anywhere. I run out of the cave entrance, my gaze desperately searching everywhere in the forest to find Gale.

"Gale!" I shout, taking off. I then run through the forest, rain soaking my clothes. Every footstep I take makes my heart go faster. I then stop to listen for his call we made up or just about anything. But all I can hear is the birds and the rain pouring down from the sky. "God dammit!" I curse under my breath. I then let out a call, hoping Gale can hear it. I wait what seems like forever before the call is returned with a withered up, raspy call. My panic turns into terror as the call fills my ears. "GALE!" I shriek before running to the sound of the call. I end up near a river side. A blood trail lays underneath my feet. I follow the trail as best as possible. I gasp as I see the one person I want to see. It's Gale. "Gale.." I trail off as I take in the whole of his wounds. Cuts, gashes, you name it and he had it. There looked to be no broken bones. I run to him and dig him out of the dirt.

"Katniss...tributes...C-Cato..." He rasps. I silence him by holding my finger down on his lips. I start to shake at the sight of all of his wounds.

"Oh Gale..." I trail off. A tear slides down my cheek and lands on his chest. Where was I when he was getting injured? No where. I wasn't there for him in time.

"T-This is all my fault." I cry softly, falling to the ground. The rain continues to pour down.

"No it isn't..." Gale whispers.

"Yes it is Gale! Where was I when you were getting injured? No where! I let this happen to you!" I wail.

"Cato did this...n-not you.." He says, trying to re-gain his strength. He manages to sit up. His face is covered in mud. He then wiped away the tears from my eyes.

"You were always the prettiest girl in the whole world to me." He whispers. I blush bright red, touched by his words of warmth. I lean closer to him, the warm feeling starting to stir again. I knew what I felt and I knew it was real.

"I love you.." I whispered. He blushes as red as a rose, rain dripping down his face.

"I love you too..." He whispers back before leaning in really close to me. I press my lips onto his, the rain falling down our heads as we kiss. It felt so right and so warming. The rain was nothing compared to us anymore.


	4. The hunger within

I woke up beside Gale, my heart beating at a normal pace. I smiled at the sight of his beautiful face. I love him, I truly do.

"Wake up." I whisper to him. He then woke up gently, smiling.

"Morning Catnip." He whispers, his cheeks as red as roses. I smile, leaning in for a kiss. We kiss for some time before getting off of each other and planning out the day.

"So should we hunt?" He asks, his eyes locked with mine. I nod, noticing that our food pile is low. I know that we haven't ate as much as there was on the pile. Something was strange about it.

"Gale, when was the last time we ate?" I ask, trying to hide my suspicion about our food getting stolen.

"I think we skipped dinner last night, so probably yesterday morning." He replies. I then realize that someone or something has been taking our food.

"Look at the food pile. It's almost dry." I say, pointing to the pile, "We didn't eat all of the food on there. Something or someone has been eating when we have been away or sleeping." Gale looks at the pile to see that I am right.

"Should we track down whatever is eating our food?" He asks. I think for a bit of time. If we don't try to hunt down our prey snatcher, we're as good as screwed.

"We have to or else we're screwed." I answer, grabbing the free knife that was given to me by another tribute. Gale stands up and grabs my shoulder.

"Just where do you think you're going?" He asks, his eyes full of worry. I know he doesn't want me to go alone, but I have to. If I do die, then at least he lives and wins the games for Prim. But I want him to come with me. I fight back the urge to let him come with me.

"I'm going alone to find the prey snatcher." I reply. Gale looks at me like I'm insane.

"You're crazy if you think you're going without me." He says, grabbing a weapon.

"No Gale, you have to stay here." I say, fighting every nerve to let him come.

"And let you die out there alone? I don't think so." He says sternly.

"If I die…then you have to win the games for Prim. If we both die, then who will hunt for Prim? She's scared of the forest and would die of starvation if we both die out here." I say, feeling a tear trickle down my cheek. I search his gaze. Deep down I see that he understands my decision. He then flies into my arms.

"Don't be long…" He whispers.

"I won't….." I whisper back before planting a kiss on his lips, "I love you."  
"I love you too." He whispers before letting me go. I walk out of the cave and into the forest. Am I really going to die or not? I walk a bit before coming across footprints. I crouch down. Looking at them more closely tells me they came from another direction. But where do they lead to? I look up to see the footprints go in all different directions. Does this mean other tributes know our location? I stand up and walk deeper into the forest. Within minutes I come across more footprints. Before I have time to crouch down, a loud scream comes from the north. I look north, my ears and eyes alert for any movement. A girl then rams into me. She pins me down. I kick and thrash my legs, hoping to get her off of me. But she manages to keep a firm grip on me. A knife then gets held right up to my neck.

"Looks like you aren't as strong as they said you were, Everdeen!" The girl taunts. I recognize her voice. It's Clove. Clove holds the knife even closer to my neck.

"We found you're base and know where you live. It's useless to try and run now." She grins, her teeth stained with some blood. I struggle underneath her weight, trying to get her off of me. But Clove keeps me pinned down hard. She then makes a tiny cut mark on my throat that could turn into a huge gash at any moment. I stay as still as possible.

"You've been taking my food!" I say angrily, realizing the blood was from animals. Clove grinned.

"Well it won't matter since you have lover boy with you!" She sneers. I then realize she means Gale. Has she been watching us?  
"You watch us?!" I rasp. She smirks, her eyes sharp and gruesome.

"Well I don't think it matters now. Let's get started with some revenge, now shall we?" She growls, taking the knife and cutting a mark on my forehead. I let out a moan of pain as she makes a long cut mark. The knife begins to cut even deeper into my flesh. I start to scream in pain.

"GALE!" I shriek, hoping he can hear me. Clove then cuts even deeper. Before she had the chance to cut anymore deeper, something grabs her off of me. I close my eyes as I hear screams of pain and agony. It then comes to a stop. I open my eyes slightly to see another tribute has killed Clove.

"Only this one time Everdeen!" The tribute says before running off. I hold my hand up to my forehead. A gash has been made. I struggle to get up on my feet. My whole world then turns black.

"Katniss! Katniss!" A voice echoes. I can't move or respond. Light then seeps into my world. I then blink my eyes to see Gale begging me to wake up.

"Katniss…I p-promise to win the games for Prim….I won't l-let you down…" He cries, tears running down his cheeks.

"Gale…?" I rasp. His eyes widen at the sound of me speaking.

"Katniss!" He gasps, hugging me tightly. I smile weakly.

"I told you I'd be back."


	5. A small talk

The night sky was in the air. I looked around to see nothing but Gale sitting next to me. It was nice to have so close to me. I then turned to meet his gaze.

"Only a couple more nights until we win the games." I say, smiling.

"Yeah. I can't believe we came this far." He says, leaning closer to me.

"Remember how Peeta looked when you volunteered for him?" I say, going back to the reaping.

"Yeah. He looked unhappy as if he didn't get to say something." He says.

"I'm glad we told each other how we felt." I whisper. He smiles at me, just like he did all those months ago when we first met each other.

"Remember when we first met? Your hair was like a crow's nest." He giggles. I laugh, going back to when we did meet for the first time.

"You weren't any better." I tease, "Your shirt was ragged and dirty."  
"So was your shirt. You looked like you were starving to death." He teased back.

"What if Peeta came here instead of you?" I ask him. He thinks for a bit.

"What if Peeta liked you in the way I did?" He answers with a question.

"But I don't like him back." I reply.

"Yeah well I know that Catnip." He says with a bit of humor. I giggle before resting my head on his shoulder. It felt nice to have such a trust worthy best friend with me. I look up at him as we begin to sink to the ground. When we're laid down on the ground, he looks at me with warmth.

"Goodnight Catnip." He whispers. I smile as we both drift off into sleep.


	6. Winner's luck

We both stand together in shock. Did this really just happen? Did we just win the games? I look at Gale with shock. He has the same look of disbelief on his face just as I do.

"W-We won…" He whispers in shock. I hold his hand as a speaker comes on. _Ladies and Gentlemen, we present to you the winners of the 74__th__ Hunger Games! Katniss Everdeen and Gale Hawthorne!_

Gale flies into my arms. I hug him tightly. We won.

"Now we get to go home and see Prim." I whisper as a cannon fires and comes to pick us up.

**_Later that night…_**

Cesare looks at us, his hair as blue as can be. Gale and I sit close together on the couch that was provided.

"Now, how did you two know where to find each other in the beginning? That took my breath away that you could do that!" Cesare asks us.

"Well when we were younger, we would hunt in the woods together and we used calls to tell where we were and how to find us." Gale answers.

"Remarkable, isn't it?" Cesare asks the crowd. The crowd applauds in agreement. Cesare then turns to me. I get nervous. What is he going to say?

"Katniss, I know I shouldn't ask this but, do you really love Gale?" He asks.

"Yes. I love him with all of my heart." I answer. The crowd awes from the touching words that I said. Gale even blushes a bit.

"Gale, did you expect Katniss to love you?" Cesare asks.

"At first, to be honest, no. I always had a crush on her as we grew up together. And when we entered the arena, I didn't think she would confess her feelings to me." Gale replies as the crowd awes again. I shift a bit closer to Gale, not feeling that great with the crowd cooing over us. Cesare then looks at the crowd.

"Well we have a special guest for these two lovely winners." He says into the microphone, "Prim, come on out sweetie." My whole body goes dead cold. They brought Prim to the capitol? I start to shake with nervousness. As soon as Prim comes onto stage, I nearly loose it. Tears start to run down my face. Prim then turns to meet me.

"K-Katniss…?" She asks with disbelief. I smile as I run into her arms, shaking. I hugged her tightly as the whole crowd awes at us.  
"I'm so glad you're alive." She whispers. I cry into my arm before pulling myself together just barely to speak.

"I love you Prim." I choke out. Of course the microphone on my chest picks up what I say and echoes it throughout the whole place. The crowd awes even more. Prim hugs me tighter. I feel tears run down her face. We're then sat down beside Gale. Cesare ends the interview and escorts us away from the stage.


	7. Paparazzi

I step off the train with Gale, our hands locked together. I take a deep breath as flashing lights and cameras are locked onto us. I squint my eyes from the blinding lights. Questions are thrown at us like we're caged animals. The questions stop as Gale and I are sat down on a bench. The questions then come back like a tsunami with no end. I manage to make out questions about if me and Gale were to take our relationship seriously or not. Soon enough, everything quiets down as people are called on to ask us questions. A thin man with a black hat stands up.

"Did you think you would win the Hunger Games?" The man asks, cameras locking onto our faces. Gale starts to shake a little.

"No. We thought one of us would die, honestly." I answer as the crowd of reporters eagerly write down the information I just gave. Another reporter stands.

"Are you going to take your relationship more seriously?" The reporter asks. My eyes widen slightly. How could they want such private information?

"That is something for me and Katniss to decide in privacy." Gale answers. I look at him with relief. Before I even know it, more reporters swarm us from behind. They start to push Gale away from me. I panic as I start to get pushed farther away as well.

"LET MY BOYFRIEND GO!" I scream bewildered. I then close my mouth, my hands flying onto my mouth. Everyone stops and stares at me. I try to hide my face, but its no use. Gale looks at me astonished. I feel the stare of everyone on me. I quickly run into Gale's arms, embarrassed and scared. What were the reporters going to ask us now? The reporters then throw a million questions at us.

"Everyone back it up NOW!" A familiar voice yells. I look up to see the one face I least expected to see. It was Prim. Everyone backed up, looking at Prim like she was a monster. I run into her arms with Gale behind me.  
"Lets leave while we can." I whisper, walking away with the both of them.


	8. Sunshine

It has been at least 3 years since me and Gale started dating. I never thought I would date my best friend one day, but it looks like I was wrong. Gale is everything I want. I love him and he loves me. We sat beside each other in a tree. Gale looks over at me, a grin covering his face. I smile back at him.

"You always were the fastest girl." He says. I blush, smiling. He then takes his hand and puts it on my face. Warmth radiates throughout my face. His eyes are locked with mine. He then takes his other hand and pulls out a small silver ring. He slides it onto my finger. I smile, admiring its color and shape.

"Its beautiful." I whisper to him.

"That's what you are to me. Beautiful, smart and cute." He whispers back. I feel my face go red. But I couldn't help but wonder where he was going with this.

"I want no other girl beside me than you Katniss." He says, taking my hands. I look deep down into his eyes.

"Will you marry me?" He asks. I feel a tear run down my cheek. Was I ready to get married? Am I willing to live beside Gale? Of course I am. I always will.  
"Yes." I answer. He smiles, kissing me. I wrap my hands around his neck. I will never forget this moment.

I knock on the door gently. I couldn't wait to tell Mother about the news. Mother then opens the door. A smile crosses her face.

"Hi Katniss! Come on in sweetie!" She says, welcoming me as if I had never lived with her all of my life. She sits me down at the kitchen table where Prim is happily working on some sort of toy for the cat.

"So what brings you here today darling?" Mother asks, sitting down with a cup of what looks like tea. I sit down in a chair, preparing to tell her the news.

"Mother, I'm getting married!" I say, showing the beautiful silver ring Gale gave me. Prim looks up, excitement beaming on her face. Mother smiles.

"Well that's wonderful. Gale I assume?" She says, taking a small sip of her drink. I nod my head.

"Can I help you get ready for the wedding?" Prim says, her hair in two cute little braids.

"Of course little duck." I answer, smiling at her.


	9. Old Day's Linger

My jaw drops open. They just couldn't have done this! They can't! But they just did. I hold Gale's hand tightly, starting to shake a little. He looks at me with the same fear that I have had ever since the news came out.

"Should we tell them?" He whispers to me, his voice full of fear.

"Not yet. I'll tell my prep team first though." I whisper back before we both get whisked onto the train. The only difference with this Hunger Games is that now Gale and I are married. I never imagined having to see a husband and wife go into the arena together and die. But that might just be Gale and I's future ever since what happened. I'll definitely be slowed down more easily. Hunger will be the biggest obstacle for me yet. Besides, I'm already a couple months along. Although, it is hard to tell if I'm just fat or I'm pregnant, which I am. As we travel on the train to the capitol, my mind whirls with every possibility that could happen in the arena. I could go into labor, die, starve, lose the baby or anything really. But the thought that sticks to me most is going into labor in the arena. There's always a possibility for everything.

**~(Eh, I don't wanna make getting to the capitol tetanus, so I'm just gonna shorten it to when they arrive at the capitol :3)~**

My prep team knocks on the door. I open my room door to see them looking more sad then I am. As they start to work on my hair and nails, I prepare myself to tell the news.

"Has a tribute ever entered the arena pregnant before?" I ask, trying to not make my pregnancy too obvious. They all stop and stare at me stunned. Their sadness gets wiped away like a spill and it turns into happiness. They ask about a hundred questions, all of them being easy to answer. When their work is done, I look in the mirror and see a person with about 10 different make up things on their face. The prep team then whisks away and Cinna takes their place. He walks over to me and gives me a hug.

"Long time no see, fire girl." He says with a bit of humor. I smile, remembering all the good memories I had with Cinna at my last Hunger Games. He then shifts back from me. I realize he must have felt the baby kicking gently. His face is a mix of stunned and surprised.

"Since when did you decide to become a mother?" He asks.

"About 3 months ago." I answer, smiling. He smiles back at me.

"Well congratulations. Maybe they'll be as beautiful as you are." He says. I blush at his words of kindness.

"Cinna...to be honest, I'm scared to death about the arena." I say, trying to stand up instead of sitting down. He holds my hand gently.

"Everything's going to be alright Katniss. You just have to learn to cope with your growing baby and win the games." He soothes. I smile at him, feeling his eyes turn soft like silk. I plant a kiss on his cheek.

"I'll win the games, for you, my baby and Gale." I whisper to him as his cheeks turn rose red. We then break away as my name is called to get into the training arena. I look at Cinna one last time.

"Old days linger like fog."


	10. Wooded Faults

As soon as the countdown begins, I can already feel my heart beating like crazy. There's about a sea's worth of water surrounding the cornucopia. _I can't dive in there! What if I get pulled under by another tribute? _The question races through my mind like fire. Before I know it, the countdown stops. All I can hear is the beating of my heart. Then a tribute dives into the water. I know by knowledge to not go into the cornucopia, but my instincts get the best of me and drive me into the center. As I swim through the water, I can feel myself get slowed down. _Katniss, what were you thinking?! You won't make it in time! _My mind scolds. I force myself to push away the thought and keep on driving towards the center. Gale is already gone somewhere. I then feel my hand hit the edge of the rocky platform that keeps the cornucopia above the water. As I try to pull myself over the ledge, my clothes get caught on the ledge and rip open a hole on my leg. I then realize what a mistake it was for me to get to the center. Tributes are already fighting to the death. Its just a matter of time before one gets me, for I am in the center of the fighting. I'm frozen to the ground like ice. I try to move, but can't no matter what. _Think of the baby! If you don't move, you'll die and so will the baby! _My mind urges. I then prepare myself to dive into the water when I feel the back of my suit pulled on. I turn around to get knocked square in the face with a fist. I fall to the ground to recieve a cut on the arm from someone. Blood begins to flow down the wound. As if the odds hated me, I get another cut on the arm. I force myself to not cry in pain. I bite down on my lip as hard as I can. Before I can even get a chance to stand up, I'm picked up by the neck and then thrown to the ground, landing on my side. Another cut mark is made on my forehead while I'm on the ground. I then get kicked into the water. I thrash in the water, my mind whirling. I start to swim away from the center, trying to reach the shore line that leads to the wooded areas. I make out the shape of someone waiting for me on the shoreline I am approaching. My arm that had been cut open bleeds into the water, making the wound possibly getting infected. I then feel the sand bellow me with my hands. At this point, I'm so weak I can't take another step. I fall into the water, landing on my back. The water level is up to the back of my head.

"KATNISS!" Gale gasps, running to my side. I just barely have enough energy to keep my eyes open. I close my eyes and drift into sleep. As I sleep, I hear voices and the water coming upon the shoreline in waves. This goes on for what seems like forever. I then open my eyes slightly to see that I'm in a cave. I make out the shape of Gale's body. He looks to be preparing some sort of remedy for something. I try to sit up only to wheeze in pain. My body hurts like I had just finished fighting a war. Gale runs to my side, placing one of his hands under my head. His other hand rests on my belly.

"K-Katniss?!" He whispers in disbelief. I smile as best as possible.

"T...That's me.." I whisper hoarsely. He smiled and hugs me tightly. His body feels like a ton to me. I try to get him off by gently nudging his hand off of me. He gets the hint and lets go. His eyes are full of worry.

"I-I saw you go into the center! Tributes were fighting you like you couldn't stand a chance against them!" He said, sounding like he was in a state of shock. He then glared at me angrily. "What were you thinking?!" He demanded.

"I...I thought I could g-grab something..." I rasp tiredly. The wounds were already taking their toll on me. "H...How's the...the baby...?" I ask. Gale looks better at the mention of our child.

"The baby's fine. I checked on it after I carried you into this cave." He replied gently. I smiled. A wave of sleep then washed over me. I hugged Gale as my mind drifted off into the world of sleep


	11. Regretful Light

I can just barely grasp what is happening. Everything is like a blur, I can't focus on anything. All I can hear is fighting and screams of pain. I try to make out the sound of Gale. I hear him fighting. I feel my back is on the ground but my clothes feel torn. What happened? Blackness washes over me. It stays for a long time. Then light takes it's place. I see Gale above me, grasping my hand. He looks at me with horror in his eyes.

"Katniss! Y-You hit the force field and-" "Get it...out n-now..." I whisper, cutting him off. He looks at me like I'm crazy. _He doesn't know what I mean by that _I think. I then point to my midsection.

"Get it out...now..." I repeat. His jaw drops open. He probably thinks I've gone insane.

"Y-You want the baby out now?" He gasps. I nod my head. I then feel a burning sensation start to flare in my stomach. I moan in agony and then realize that I have to get the baby out now.

"Get the baby out now!" I order, grasping my belly in agony. He gives me one look before taking off my pant legs. I yank his hand off.

"Not that way!" I say shocked before pointing to my belly, "This way!"

"Katniss, I'm not going to cut you open!" He says sternly.

"Well it's the best chance we got! We try giving birth and I'll certainly die!" I reply sharply. A tear rolls down his cheek.

"I-I don't want to lose you..." He whimpers, resting his head on my shoulders. I have the same fear he does, I really do. But we have to cut me open and get the baby out that way. I then think it over and realize that if the baby is dead, then it would be best to cut me open. I grab the dagger that is closest to me. I then place it in Gale's hand.

"I promise you won't lose me." I sooth, "Besides, if the baby is dead, then this is the only way." He then plants a kiss on my cheek before grabbing some cloth that we found days ago. The dagger then gets placed over my midsection where the baby might be located. He looks at me with fear in his eyes. "Gale, you need to listen to me now. No matter how much I beg for you to stop, don't stop." I say, "I love you, so much." Another tear runs down his cheek. I wipe it away with my hand. He then grits his teeth and places the dagger more close to my midsection to the point where the tip is touching my bare skin.

"Here goes nothing..." He murmurs, pressing the dagger into my skin. The tip of the metal tool cuts into my flesh. I curl my hands into fists as agony floods through my whole body. There's no turning back now. Gale then forces the dagger into my flesh. I whimper as the pain turns even worse. He then pulls the dagger down my flesh. I shriek in pain as the dagger cuts open my flesh. Now he has to act more quickly. He cuts into whatever is in the way of where the baby is. I wail in agony.

"MAKE IT STOP!" I beg, tears streaming down my cheeks. But Gale doesn't stop. He keeps on cutting until he reaches where the baby is. After some more cutting, blood pours from the incision made. I shriek in agony as Gale continues to work away. Then silence. My eyes fall upon our child. _He didn't make it... _I think. Gale holds our dead child, tears running down his eyes. I cry a bit too before I feel like I'm weakening. I nudge Gale as hard as I can.

"Gale, you have to close me up now!" I cry as tears continue to run down my cheeks. He grabs what looks like string and uses it to mend the cuts made together. I wail throughout this whole process. When everything is finally closed up, Gale wraps the cloths around my belly and puts my clothing back on. When everything is finished, we both look at our baby. It's still with death. Gale takes the baby and places it where no one will ever find it. He then walks back over to me and cries out his heart. I cry with him, partly because of the pain I'm in.

"Everyone w-will think you're still expecting." He whimpers once he has managed to pull himself together. I then think of a plan that could make everyone still on edge for us. I grab his hands and look him directly in the eyes.

"We still will."


	12. Fire's Triumph

I had never been so determined in all of my life. I looked at the tribute and was ready to shoot them in the neck with an arrow at any time. The tribute looked at me like I was stupid.

"Fighting now Everdeen? Don't you think that baby is going to slow you down?" They teased. I remembered the baby at their words. I pushed away the thought immediately and continued to glare at them.

"You're the stupid one for thinking a pregnant seventeen year old can't fight for herself." I retorted sharply. The tribute broke out laughing.

"Obviously, you don't know." They chuckled. _They know about Cinna and I talking? _The thought entered my mind. I didn't have time to think about it. I pushed it away.

"If you think you're so smart, then why not kill me?" I challenged. I regret my choice of words as soon as they come out of my mouth. The tribute starts chasing after me. I run as fast as my feet can carry me to the beech shoreline. When I reach the water line, I run in. The water then got up to my neck. I dived in and swam like I was on fire. My body glided through the water like an arrow flying to a target. The tribute was still close behind me, but was starting to slow down. I smiled at my success. Then, pain. Pain hit my side like fire. I grasped my side and swam to the surface. I let out a shriek of pain from the blood that was heavily bleeding from the wound made. I looked up and saw the tribute standing above me with a menacing look. They were holding onto my hands.

"I thought you said I wasn't smart enough to catch you." They whispered, "Isn't it funny how I just caught you?" My eyes were full of begging and mercy. _Please don't hurt me! _I pleaded silently. The tribute then got into my face.

"I hope you don't mean something to someone. It'll be a shame if you did." They whispered before grabbing my shoulders and tossing me onto the rocky ledge they were on. I landed onto the rocks on my back, causing a shriek of pain to escape my mouth. A foot then landed on my chest and slammed down on my chest for what seemed like a thousand years. I screamed in pain, tears starting to fall down my cheeks. The tribute smiled at their work.

"Why aren't you fighting back?" They taunted. All I could do was cry in response. The tribute then bent down and started beating up my face with a stone they had found.

"STOP IT! PLEASE!" I begged as tears ran down my cheeks. The tribute just went back to beating my face with no mercy shown at all. I could then feel something snap. It wasn't a bone or vein. It was anger. I grabbed the rock and chucked it at the tribute's face. While the tribute was recovering from the shock, I grabbed the knife closest to me and lodged it in their throat. They gasped for air to fill their lungs. I dug the knife even deeper into their throat.

"Listen up now you pathetic waste of flesh. I'm going to give you one chance to live. If you don't use this chance, then I'll kill you. Got me?" I growled. They nodded their head as best as they could. "All you have to do is unlodge this knife from your throat." I whisper. The tribute tries to get the knife out of their neck, but fail terribly by driving the knife deeper.

"Y-You little bastard!" They rasp. 

"I think I forgot to mention something about the deal." I whisper to them, "It would never matter if you got the knife out anyway. I still would have killed you." I then cut through all of the flesh in their neck, causing the tribute to drop dead. I recline back with satisfaction at their death. Birds then fly out of the forest. I hear a cannon fire. But as I look to see where the cannon came from, it wasn't for the tribute I just killed.

It was for someone else


	13. When The Bell Rings

Ever since the games ended, my whole world has changed. No more Gale, no more love. All I have is Prim and Mother now. Each day is the same for me. I wake up, crying from what happened in the games and then I wander around District 12 for the rest of the day. Occasionally I will do some hunting, but not as often as I used to. All I will do in the woods now is wander around aimlessly, maybe sit down in the meadows or wooded areas, make something from flowers and grass or just do nothing. A haze is what I call my problem. I can't get over anything now. I can't eat without thinking about Gale or even talk without my mind racing with images of the arena. My sister doesn't know about my unborn child or anything about the arena and what happened in there. All I do is just shrug it off. But today is a special day for the whole district. I should say a grim day, but with the capitol cramming happiness down your neck, it's quite hard to keep the real mood of the reaping. I want to stay in bed all day, but I can't no matter what. Everyone just has to attend the reaping. So I grab the clothes that have been laid out for both me and Prim and get dressed without a word. I look in the mirror when I finish getting dressed. I look different from when I attended the reaping where I volunteer to take Prim's place. A smart move in my mind, but a horrifying one in my instincts. As I walk down the stairs for breakfast, I see Prim has already finished her meal. She takes her bowl and puts it on the counter. Her eyes then lock with me as she spots me on the staircase.

"Morning Katniss!" She says happily. I don't say anything to greet her, but rather a nod instead. She sighs, remembering the grief state I'm still in. I grab the bowl that is waiting for me on the counter. Strawberries and pourage. What could be more blander than this? I eat it without gagging, a first for me. When I finish, I place the bowl on the counter and walk out the door with Prim by my side. We gather in the center of District 12 and wait for everyone else to gather. When the whole of District 12 has gathered, the capitol begins their happiness cramming by showing us a video they think will encourage us to volunteer like I did. I don't bother to watch the idiotic video, since I've seen it too many times that I'd like to see it. As the video finishes, I spot Effie smiling like a moron. The one moron she always will be. When the video comes to a stop, Effie takes the mic and rambles on about how 'great' the video is.

"Now, lets begin the reaping. And may the odds be ever in your favor." She says. I snort, remembering how the odds were completely against me in my last games. Her hand then goes into a pink bowl with sparkling swirls on it. It makes me want to gag at how pink it is.

"For the girls, we have," Effie says, making everyone 'hang' onto the edge of their feet. "Katniss Everdeen." The words fill my ears and I realize that I'm called. Tears already run down my cheeks as if they were told to. I lean down and give Prim a kiss on the head.

"I'll be back soon, little duck." I whisper before walking onto the platform. I stand beside Effie as she grabs a tribute for the boys.

"Jay." Effie announces. There appears to be no last name for this boy, since no last name was mentioned. A tall, muscular boy with icy blue eyes walks up onto the stage. He stands beside me as Effie finishes her dumb speech. After some time, the both of us are whisked onto the train that leads to the capitol.

_**~(Okay guys, so I know there is no 3rd arena with Katniss involved. But I just love making the arena time, so I'm going to make my own custom arena! Enjoy the last arena fanfiction! :3)~ **_

Jay looks at me from the seat across from where I sit. Its quite uncomfortable to have someone with shocking icy blue eyes staring into your soul, let alone a guy. I shift in my seat, trying to avoid eye contact with him at all costs. He clears his throat before shifting in his own seat as well.

"So...how old are you?" He asks. I don't look at him in the eyes, but I do look at his face to show I'm not a jerk.

"Eighteen. You?" I reply.

"Sixteen." He answers. I could tell this guy was going to be an interesting character from the questions he asked.

"I heard your name get called back there. I-I think you're name is pretty." He says. I see his cheeks turning red with a blush. _Why do I have to get hit on? _I think silently.

"Thanks." I say and then walk away. I go into my room and lock the door. I don't know what it was, but I could feel like Jay was going to be something.


	14. What?

I'm sitting in the chair, Ceaser sitting a chair across from me. His hair is a brilliant green that reminds me of grass but on steroids. He then turns to face me.

"So Katniss, I'm sure everyone here wants to know what happened to you during the bloodbath!" Ceaser exclaimed as the crowd applauded with approval. I shivered a bit, remembering the horrific events. I swallow hard before getting ready to answer the statement.

"Well, I-I planned on swimming towards the shoreline to meet up with...with Gale, but my instincts got the best of me and I was driven into the cornucopia." I reply.

"How did the games go with your baby?" Ceaser asks. The whole crowd looks to be on the edge of their seats. I tried very hard to not shed a tear.

"T-They were like any other game. Challenging, but twisted." I answer, my body starting to shake a little. The crowd still looks at me with a look that urges me to say more. "I did encounter the force field at one point, which killed the baby." I add more quietly. The crowd then gasps as my words settle into their minds. Ceaser looks like he's trying to not cry as hard as I am.

"Well that must have been very hard for you." He says sympathetically.

"Oh believe me it was." I reply, "Did you know that the little thing never stopped kicking? I would never be able to sleep without feeling a slight kick!" The crowd chuckles with a bit of laughter. Ceaser laughs a bit too.

"A fighter indeed!" He says.

"Just like me." I whisper. The crowd laughs along.

"Well it looks like we're out of time. Ladies and Gentlemen, Katniss Everdeen!" Ceaser concludes. I walk off stage and go to gather with the other tributes. Jay then walks onto the stage. The crowd goes wild over his looks. Even Ceaser seems breath taken.

"Did a crystal just walk onto the stage?" Ceaser jokes. The crowd chuckles with amusement. I roll my eyes at the corny joke.

"I'm sure one just did." Jay replies, earning more laughter. When everyone has settled down, Ceaser goes on with the usual stuff. When the final question arrives, I could feel something strange was bound to happen.

"Anything else you'd like to say?" Ceaser asks. Jay shifts a bit.

"I'd like to wish Katniss Everdeen luck." Jay answers.

"Well why is that?" Ceaser asks again. I feel my heart pounding like a running deer.

"Because...because it would be easy to win the games...if it weren't for the baby." Jay answers. The crowd goes into shear shock with me. He couldn't have done that to me! But he just did. I drop to the floor and hide my face as the cameras turn onto my face. Ceaser tries to calm the crowd down, but its no use. All the tributes are escorted away. I'm then placed in a room with Jay. The first thing I do is ram him onto his side.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"


	15. Danger Among The Unlikely

I give Cinna one last big hug before I stand in the tube that will send me into the arena. As I stand in the tube, I see a door open behind Cinna and peace keepers walk over to him. One of the peace keepers topple Cinna over. I bang my hand on the glass tube.

"NO!" I yell hoarsely. But no matter what I do, the peace keeper still beat the crap out of Cinna. The platform bellow my feet then start going up. I watch in horror as my friend is dragged away from me. I can feel myself on the verge of crying. I gasp for air, trying to calm down. But something is odd about the air. It isn't warm nor a medium temperature. Its frigid. As my platform comes to a stop, bright light blurs my vision. When my eyes get used to the lighting in the arena, I nearly have a panic attack. _No..they couldn't have done this to me! _I wail on the inside. Blasts of cold, frigid air blow from in front of me. I'm not in some forest area or jungle place. I'm in a frozen waste land. Trees are around everywhere, but there all evergreens. Water engulfs the whole center of the arena. I know by instinct the water will be freezing cold. A speaker then comes on. _Welcome to the 75th Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favor. _The countdown begins. I breathe deeply, trying to not panic too much. My plan folds out into my mind like a wrinkled map. I go for a bow with arrows, grab a pack, a knife and then run for my life. The countdown stops and I dive in. Cold hits me as soon as my skin touches the water. I swim as fast as I can onto the rocky ledge. I hurl myself over the edge and run down the long column like platforms that lead to the cornucopia. When I reach the entrance of the cornucopia, I grab what I needed. As I was getting ready to sprint away, someone poked me on the shoulder. I turn around to see Finnick looking at me. He looks better than before.

"Good thing we're allies, right?" He says. I nod my head without hesitation. We both then run into the forest like area. We come to a stop, gasping for air. I press my hand against a tree, my breaths coming out shallow but warm. Finnick gives me one look and I know what he's thinking. _How stupid could this kid get? _I assume in my mind. He walks over to me and grabs me by the shoulders. I can see anger surging through him.

"What the hell made you think it was alright to get pregnant again?!" He demanded sternly. I shoved him off of me.

"I'm not pregnant!" I snap at him. He looks at me with a shocked look.

"Then why did Jay say you were?" He questioned.

"To make the games harder for me." I growl. What was wrong with that kid? He can't just throw out random pregnancies like its his job! Finnick wiped the snow off of his shoulders.

"So you have to lie about expecting a child?" He whispers. I nod my head and then sink to the ground. Could this day get any more worse?

"I know what to do. I was actually having one in the last games, but it died off." I say hoarsely, tiredness starting to take a toll on me. Finnick gives me one look before turning to face the woods. I then feel nausea sweep over me like a wave. It must have been from swimming in freezing water and running like I was on fire. I empty what used to be on my stomach behind a tree. When I finish, I fill my mouth with snow. I don't want to taste vomit all day. Finnick then looks behind me. I assume he is just looking to get an idea of where we could camp out. But my thought is pushed away as a whirling sound fills the air. Before I have time to react, something stabs me in the side. I fall to the ground, yelling in pain. Blood draws from a knife in my side, making rather large drops of crimson in the snow. I look up at Finnick before yelling in pain again as another knife hits the same side that was bleeding. I cover the wounds made with my hands, tears running down my cheeks. Finnick scoops me up and runs deeper into the forest. As he runs, I feel my world slowly being dappled with black. Finnick must have seen this because he starts to run even faster.

"Hang in there Katniss!" He says. I'm too weak to respond as I gently drift into sleep.


End file.
